The report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows a growing gap between rhetoric and action in decarbonising the economy. Although the uptake of renewables in the EU is accelerating, progress on energy efficiency – especially in buildings – is too slow. The EU stands the most to gain from the energy transition but a much higher level of funding in building renovation and the deployment of energy efficiency technologies is needed to reach the 2050 targets. The solution lies at the nexus of the European Green Deal and the COVID-19 recovery plan.